Waking Hermione
by Hermione's Shadow
Summary: Everyone he ever loved had been taken from his life, and now she had too. She had left him behind to raise their two daughters, or at least he thought.


**Waking Hermione**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the below characters. They all belong to the world of Harry Potter so cleverly created by JK Rowling.

**A/N:** Hey guys this is just a little one shot that I wrote quite a while back and finally decided to post. I was thinking of maybe doing a series of one shots that kind of turn them into a storyline but I'm not sure. Please, please review, I am definitely not above begging. Depending on the feedback I get, I may or may not work on other one shots to go along with this. Also, if you have a chance, I am working on another story called "In Search of the Truth" If you have time to check that out it would be tremendously appreciated. Thanks and hope you enjoy!

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Harry looked down at his 3 year old daughter's sleeping face, and fought back the urge to cry. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He had defeated Voldemort 8 years ago. It had been a long hard fight, but he had prevailed in the end but not without sacrifices. It started with Cedric, Sirius, and Dumbledore. From there it had only gotten worse. Next was Percy, then Professor Trewalny. The next loss was one of the hardest. Neville had just returned to his grandmother's for Christmas break when they were attacked in there home. Bellatrix had returned to finish off the rest of the Longbottom family. She would have succeeded if it weren't for Neville's quick thinking. He sent off a patronus before running to the aid of his grandmother. He fought her off for as long as he could, trying to keep her distracted from his grandmother. By the time the Order arrived, Neville was unconscious and his grandmother barely alive. Neville awoke two days later, and that evening his grandmother had passed on. She held on long enough to make sure Neville was okay and to tell him that she was proud of him and his parents would be too. She used her last few breaths to tell him that she loved him. It took Neville a month to fully recover, and he hadn't been the same person. He focused harder in school, and swore to avenge his family. After had been Cornelius Fudge. The final blow was Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick. Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick had been on a mission for the Order just after the end of school, when their bodies were found in the Forbidden Forest by the centaurs. One week later, Harry, Hermione, and Ron destroyed the sixth Horocrux.

The final battle took place on the same ground it began. This time however, Voldemort was finished for good. Many unforgivables were used that night, both by the light and the dark. It was a hard fought battle and there were casualties on both sides, but only fatalities on the Death Eater's side. Remus Lupin ended Peter Pettigrew's pathetic life. It was both Harry and Neville that put an end to Bellatrix Lestrang. She fought a good fight, but it was no match for two teenage boys eager for revenge. After her, Harry moved on to Voldemort, but not without his two best friends by his side. In the end, 1/7th of Voldemort's soul was no match for the Golden Trio and the power of love. And that was how it ended. Exactly seventeen years after it all began, it ended once and for all on the very ground it began.

Life moved on after that. The wizarding world resumed life as it once was. It was a bit more difficult for those who fought along side Harry that night however. Cho, who heroically took a crusciatis curse intended for Mrs. Weasley was left with a bad limp in her right leg when she slammed it into a jagged rock. Luna, who had been helping an injured auror to safer grounds, was left with a scar that ran almost entirely down the left side of her torso. Seamus, who had been looking for Ginny, was nearly blinded by a Death Eater's curse to the back of his head. That night, had changed all of their lives.

Almost a year after the battle, Seamus proposed to Ginny. Around that same time, Harry and Hermione started dating. It wasn't until Seamus and Ginny's wedding six months later, however, that Ron began dating Luna. Shortly after that, Neville and Cho began dating as well. Just short of two years after the battle, Harry proposed to Hermione, on her 21st birthday. They set their wedding date for that June.

It didn't take long for the other two couples to tie the knot either, and just short of the fourth anniversary of the final battle, all the couples were officially married, and Ginny and Seamus were the proud parents of a little boy. It was their second wedding anniversary when Hermione told Harry that she was three weeks pregnant. Harry had been ecstatic. For the next nine months they anxiously awaited the arrival of the newest member of their family, and on March 18th, Lilian Samantha Potter came into their world kicking and screaming.

After that things quieted down. Two months after Lilian's birth, Luna gave birth to a healthy baby boy and girl. At Lilian's first birthday party both Neville and Cho, and Seamus and Ginny had announced that they where expecting new additions to their families. It was at the twins birthday party that Luna had announced that she was also, once again expecting. So, for the next year, every one had their hands full. Both Cho and Ginny went into labor the same day. Both girls gave birth to healthy boys. One month later, Luna had gone into labor, delivering a healthy baby girl. By Lilian's second birthday, there were kids everywhere. It was then that Hermione decided to continue with tradition, and announced that she was one month pregnant, much to everyone's surprise, including her husband's.

The second pregnancy had been a hard one; Emily Audrey Potter had come one month ahead of schedule, on August 30. For Harry, life had never been better. However, his happiness would only last for eight short months.

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It started out like any other Saturday morning for the Potters. Harry and Hermione woke up, got their children up, and had breakfast together. Today, however, was to be Hermione's day off. Harry had been on Hermione to go out and have some fun since Lilian's third birthday party, (where yes, true to tradition, Cho had announced that she was once again pregnant) and have some fun. So she had finally taken him up on his offer to look after their daughters for the day, and she had planned a day of shopping and pampering with Luna, Cho, and Ginny. The four witches had agreed to meet up at Cho's house. Because they lived just outside of London, and they both had an extreme dislike for apparation, the Potters usually walked everywhere, which is why Hermione decided to walk to Cho's that day. It was only about a 15 minute walk, and it was a nice April day. Harry had a funny feeling when he kissed her good-bye, but he just figured he was being paranoid. Nevertheless, he told her to be careful.

When he walked back into the house, that odd feeling once again overcame him. He tried to push it aside and smile as Lilian launched herself at him in a bear hug and Emily gurgled at him from her highchair, but he was having trouble.

Meanwhile, half an hour later, the witches at Cho's house were beginning to get uneasy. Hermione Potter was never late. They tried to reason that she got held up with the baby, but as the time ticked by, they grew increasingly worried. Finally, an hour after she was supposed to be there, Ginny flooed Harry.

Harry had been upstairs in the playroom with his daughters when he heard Ginny's voice. His heart dropped when he heard her calling for Hermione. He rushed downstairs and reported that she had left an hour ago. Even despite the green flames he could see Ginny pale as she reported the news to the other girls. Harry wasn't sure what happened next, it was all sort of a blur. He remembered Luna apparating next to him saying she would watch the girls and for him to go look for Hermione. It hadn't taken him long to find her. It was almost as if he already knew where to go. He had found her in an alley, one of her shortcuts. She had no bodily damage that he could see, but she was in a coma like state. Harry had apparated to St. Mungo's with her in his arms, and that is where she had been for two months. Her condition hadn't changed one bit since that first day. She just lay their, not waking up, not moving, and it was killing Harry. He came everyday. It had become a routine for him. He had taken emergency leave from the auror's department, and no one had questioned him. He would wake up in the morning, get dressed, get the girls dressed. Then he would go to the Burrow where he would leave them to play with the other children. Then he would come and sit with Hermione until about noon. Then he would go back to the Burrow and collect his daughters to bring them home. He would play with them until about six, when he would get Emily ready for bed. Then, either Cho, Ginny, or Luna would come over to stay with Emily while Harry took Lilian to visit Hermione. Harry didn't take her everyday, only about two or three times a week. He didn't like bringing her to that hospital environment at all, but he knew she needed to see her mum. On the days she didn't come, she would stay home with Emily and whoever was watching them that night. On those nights, Harry would usually stay until about 9. On the days she came with him, like today, he would stay until Lilian fell asleep.

Harry let out a heavy sigh. He knew he should be getting Lilian home, but he just couldn't bring himself to leave tonight. Very soon Harry would be having to make a decision to take her off life support. It had been over two months and she hadn't changed. Harry knew that Hermione wouldn't want him to hang on like this, but he also knew that she was a fighter. Then he had his daughters to consider. They needed their mum, but he didn't want them to only remember her as being like this. Mostly though, he needed her. His friends had been their for him as much as they could, watching Lilian and Emily whenever he needed, but they had their own families to attend to and raise.

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Looking down at his daughter's face he choked back another sob. He looked over at Hermione once before gently picking up their daughter. As he walked out of the room, he made a decision. He would return tomorrow and take her off of life support. It wasn't an easy decision, but he knew it was the one that had to be made. It was the decision Hermione would have made, and he knew that it was the right one for their daughters. He wanted their daughters to grow up with wonderful stories about their mother's bravery, and her courageous ideas, and her big heart. He wanted them to know her through the legacy she left behind. He didn't ever want them to see her as she was now, weak and fragile.

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The following day Harry woke up with a sharp pain in his chest. It intensified as he looked at the two little sleeping forms next to him. However, he knew that no matter how hard it was, he had to stick the choice he made. He moved through the rest of the day on autopilot. He thought about telling everyone else, but he knew they would want to be there when he did it, and he really just wanted their daughters to be their when it happened. He wanted them to be able to kiss their mum goodbye. He did however, tell Ron. He felt that Ron deserved to be their after all those years of friendship, and he was Lilian's godfather. Ron took the day off of work to come be with Harry and the girls. They spent the day reliving memories of their school days. Of the times Hermione had scared both of them with her almost McGonagall-like lectures and rants. They remembered the times she so often bailed them out of trouble because they'd forgotten an essay. They relived the time they had saved her from the troll and she lied for them. That was when their friendship had begun. Neither men were ashamed of their tears. They were losing someone important to them, someone that had saved their lives countless times as children, and yet here they were, fully grown men, and they couldn't save hers. Despite the sadness, they smiled at the two little girls in front of them. They knew that Hermione would never truly be gone. No, she would live on in their hearts forever, and she would live on in her daughters.

So with a heavy heart, Harry and Ron got ready to leave for St. Mungos. Harry collected Emily, and Ron collected Lilian. As the lift took them to their floor, each man stood their, lost in their own thoughts and memories. The two little girls sat quietly in their arms, sensing the sadness, but not quite understanding. As they stepped into her room, each man had to fight to keep their composure in check. Harry was losing his wife, his soul mate, and Ron was losing his best friend, his sister.

Ron sat on one side with Lilian on his lap, while Harry sat on the other, with Emily in his. They knew they had to let her go, but they couldn't, not just yet. They desperately fought off the tears, however when Lilian innocently asked "when is mummy going to wake up?" neither one could stop them from falling. And even though each man loved her differently, both could feel their hearts breaking as they looked at Lilian's confused little face.

Harry sighed and tried to regain his composure. He stood up and walked over to her. He had no idea how he was going to tell her that, "no sweetie, mummy isn't going to wake up ever again." He bent down to Lilian's level and that's when it happened. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry thought he saw movement. At first he was afraid that he was mistaken, but as he looked at Ron, he knew he hadn't been. Ron was staring at Hermione, eyes wide and breathing fast. As Harry rushed to her bedside, her eyes opened. After that everything was a blur. He vaguely remembered Ron taking the children back to his house so Harry could stay with Hermione.

Hermione spent another month in the hospital, and Harry returned to work. Hermione's attack however, still remained a mystery. She couldn't remember a thing. Hermione returned home one week before Emily's first birthday party. They celebrated it together quietly. It was another month before Hermione returned to work as an unspeakable. That was when it happened, one week after she returned to work. Harry and Hermione had just put the children down to bed and were heading to bed themselves when out of the corner of her eye Hermione thought she saw a shadow outside. In a flash Hermione remembered everything and started to collapse. Harry, who had been aware of her sudden change in demeanor, caught her immediately. It only took Hermione a second to regain her balance, and before Harry even had a chance to ask her what was wrong, she took off toward the children's room. Without a second thought she opened the door and cast a stunner spell.

Harry reached the bedroom door just as a black robed figure collapsed to the floor. Harry was quick to paralyze the figure even more before approaching it. Harry removed the person's mask to reveal none other than Lucius Malfoy, the last remaining death eater that hadn't received the dementor's kiss. It didn't take long to get him down to the ministry, where he skipped trial and went straight to Azkaban, where he received the kiss.

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Ten years later, Harry comforted his distraught wife while he did his best to keep his own composure in check as they watched eleven year old Emily Potter board the Hogwarts Express for the first time behind fourteen year old Lilian Potter. It was going to be difficult getting used to an empty house, but he knew that soon enough they would return home for Christmas break, full of tales about their year so far. As they watched the train speed off towards Hogwarts, Harry sighed happily, remembering his first ride over two decades ago. He was particularly fond of the moment his compartment door slid open revealing a young, bossy, bushy-haired witch. It was the moment Hermione Granger had been thrown into his life, a moment that he would cherish as long as he lived.


End file.
